Nothing I’ve read has changed me more than “you do people a favor by accepting their help” like I repeat this constantly to so many people because it’s true!!! People like to feel useful, they like to feel kind, they like to feel like they have an ability to impact people’s lives so just let them!! Not everything is a thing to be owed back — accept people’s kindness without making a competition out of it
Just thinking about this today like I was ringing up a woman at the store and she was a dollar short but somebody had tipped me (personally, not the whole staff) a couple bucks earlier and I was like here take one of these and she was so shocked I would do that and made a point to remember my name and thanked me so much over like. One dollar. And then later another customer asked to pay for another couple’s drinks and they were so surprised and trying to buy them something in return but clearly that person just wanted to do something nice and they ended up having a long conversation and laughed together and it would have been so awkward if they’d completely refused or tried to give them money back and it would have ruined the moment. It’s the easiest thing to just pay forward kindness but that also means you have to accept people’s kindness when it comes around to you.
You can accept a gift with generosity in the same way you can give one with generosity
